ROME -- Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi put his government to the test Friday by calling a confidence vote to protect the controversial 1995 budget on which his credibility is pinned.


Giuliano Ferrara, minister for parliamentary relations, told the Chamber of Deputies that part of the budget bill, concerning a pardon for those guilty of breaching building regulations, would be subject to a confidence vote. "We have called a confidence vote to make sure the budget remains intact and safe," he said.


Parliamentary sources said the vote, which would compel Berlusconi to resign if he lost, would take place Monday.


Unions say they expect 850,000 people to protest in Rome on Saturday against the budget, which would cut spending on pensions and health as part of a plan to reduce the 1995 deficit by 50 trillion lire ($32 billion).


Successive governments have used confidence votes to get legislation through parliament. But this was the first time Berlusconi, had resorted to such a tactic.